Chapter 141: Scabbers' Crisis! A Rat That Lived for Twelve Years?
Draco's words were like a seed, taking root and sprouting in Hermione's heart.
Back at Gryffindor Tower, although she and Ron were still in a cold war and ignored each other,
her gaze would always involuntarily drift toward the rat snoozing in Ron's pocket.
Scabbers.
A rat that had lived for twelve years.
This was too abnormal.
One evening, Ron put Scabbers on the table to feed him.
Hermione pretended to be reading, but her peripheral vision was locked firmly on that rat.
She finally saw it clearly.
Scabbers' left front paw was indeed missing a toe!
Hermione's heart sank abruptly.
What Draco said was true!
There was definitely something wrong with this rat!
She wanted to tell Harry and Ron immediately, but the words reached her lips and were swallowed back down.
They wouldn't believe anything she said right now; they would only think she was looking for trouble again.
She had to find more concrete evidence.
So, Hermione began trying to get close to Scabbers.
"Ron, can I see your rat?" she once plucked up the courage to ask.
"What for? Do you want that rotten cat of yours to eat him? Get lost!"
Ron jumped up as if his tail had been stepped on, pulling Scabbers into his arms and glaring at her fiercely.
Hermione's plans failed repeatedly.
And her cat, Crookshanks, also seemed to have developed an unusual interest in Scabbers.
This clever cat, with half-Kneazle blood, also seemed to perceive something wrong with Scabbers.
But its behavior, in Draco's view, was not yet "intense" enough.
One weekend afternoon, there weren't many people in the Gryffindor Common Room.
Draco confirmed this through the marauders map.
He quietly arrived outside the portrait of Gryffindor Tower, hiding behind a suit of armor.
He closed his eyes and activated the Dragon Blood War Body.
A faint but extremely oppressive Dragon Might, belonging to an apex predator, seeped through the thick walls.
This Dragon Might had no effect on humans.
But for animals, especially bloodline-sensitive magical creatures like Crookshanks, it was no less than a thunderclap!
Crookshanks, who was napping by the fireplace, suddenly had all his fur stand on end!
He felt the urge to submit from deep within his bloodline.
His gaze instantly locked onto Scabbers, who was nibbling breadcrumbs on the table!
In Crookshanks' eyes, this creature disguised as a rat was a desecration of this territory!
"Meow—!"
Crookshanks let out a sharp roar and, like a bolt of yellow lightning, lunged from under the sofa and pounced on Scabbers!
The Gryffindor Common Room was instantly thrown into chaos!
"Crookshanks! Stop it!"
Hermione cried out in panic.
"Damn it! I knew it! Hermione, control your beast!"
Ron cursed while scrambling to chase after his pet.
Scabbers was scared out of his wits and fled frantically around the Common Room.
He dove into bookshelves and jumped onto tables, knocking over ink bottles.
In the midst of the confusion, Scabbers, desperate to avoid Crookshanks' claws, scurried through a gap in an open window and out into the corridor.
As soon as he landed, before he could catch his breath,
a huge shadow loomed over him.
It was Goyle.
He was following Draco's instructions, pretending to be "passing by" this area.
Scabbers (or rather, Peter Pettigrew) saw this big oaf and squeaked in terror, instinctively opening his mouth to bite!
But before he could bite, Goyle let out an exaggerated scream.
"Ah! My hand!"
He jerked his hand back; a deep scratch had appeared on his finger at some point, dripping with blood.
This, of course, wasn't Scabbers' bite.
Goyle had cut it himself with a small knife on the way here, and smeared it with rat blood Draco had previously stolen from the hospital wing.
Goyle's scream alerted Ron and Hermione in the Common Room.
They rushed out.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Scabbers fled like a grey shadow along the corners toward the depths of the Castle.
He didn't dare stay in Gryffindor Tower any longer.
That place was too dangerous!
Ron rushed into the corridor only to see Goyle clutching his bleeding finger and rolling on the floor in pain.
On the ground, only a small puddle of blood and a few strands of grey rat fur remained.
Scabbers was gone.
"Scabbers!"
Ron let out a desperate cry.
He rushed up to Hermione, his eyes bloodshot, and grabbed her collar.
"It's all you! It's all your cat! It ate my Scabbers!"
"No! It's not like that! Crookshanks didn't!" Hermione was terrified by him and shook her head desperately.
"I saw it with my own eyes! There's blood all over the floor! You murderer!"
Ron had completely lost his mind; in front of all the spectating students in the corridor, he pointed at Hermione's nose and insulted her with the most vicious language.
Harry also hurried over; although he wasn't as agitated as Ron,
looking at the blood on the floor and then at Hermione's cat still licking its paws, his gaze was full of accusation.
Hermione was unable to defend herself.
She looked at Ron's angry face, Harry's distant gaze, and the mocking, pointing eyes around her.
Her heart turned cold bit by bit.
She completely gave up on Ron and this so-called "friendship."
She didn't defend herself with another word.
She just silently pushed Ron's hand away, turned around, and returned to the empty dormitory.
She packed her schoolbag, putting everything that belonged to her inside.
Then, she walked out.
In the Great Hall, where all the teachers and students were gathered, under everyone's astonished gazes,
Hermione Granger, the miss know-it-all of Gryffindor, holding her bag and her cat, walked step by step away from the Gryffindor table with an expressionless face.
She didn't look back.
At the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy cast an approving glance at her from afar and mouthed two words.
"Come over."
Hermione's footsteps paused for a moment.
But she didn't walk toward Slytherin.
She knew it wasn't time yet.
Under Draco's slightly playful gaze, she walked straight to the Ravenclaw table.
The Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater, had already reserved a seat for her under Draco's instruction.
"Sit here, Hermione."
Penelope said to her gently.
Hermione sat down, burying herself in books and the blue ocean of Ravenclaw.
From this moment on, the Golden Trio of Gryffindorexisted in name only.
Draco sat at the Slytherin table, tapping his fingertips lightly on the tabletop, watching this scene from afar.
His gaze turned back to the marauders map.
On the map, the ink dot representing "Peter Pettigrew" was fleeing frantically toward the outside of the Castle, finally disappearing into the hollow of the Whomping Willow.
The corners of Draco's mouth curled into a cold and cruel smile.
Peter Pettigrew.
Your good days are over.
Next, it's time for your old friend to make an appearance.
Chapter 142: The Battle Against Ravenclaw! This is the Gap Between Seekers!
The Slytherin team postponed the match once again, citing the recurrence of an old arm injury sustained by their captain, Draco Malfoy.
This lame excuse left Gryffindor with no choice but to face Ravenclaw ahead of schedule.
For Harry Potter, this was undoubtedly adding insult to injury.
His Firebolt was gone, and even his own Nimbus 2000was no more.
He could only dig out a "shooting star" from the school storage room, one that had been used by countless generations of students.
The twigs at the tail of the broom were split, and it kept veering to the left whenever it flew.
When Harry appeared on the Quidditch Pitch riding this ragged broom, unrestrained laughter erupted from the Slytherin stands.
Draco sat in the best viewing spot, with Pansy and Daphne on either side of him—one holding binoculars for him, the other carrying hot cocoa.
"Look, savior has come out riding a stick of firewood!" Pansy's voice was very loud.
Draco took a sip of hot cocoa without saying a word, his gaze locked on the disheveled figure in the middle of the pitch.
The Ravenclaw team had also entered the field.
Their Seeker, Cho Chang, was riding a Comet 260. Her movements were light and graceful, her long Black hair tracing a beautiful arc in the wind.
As soon as she appeared, bursts of cheers rang out from the sidelines.
When Harry saw her figure, his cheeks felt a bit hot.
Looking down at the "shooting star" between his legs, a wave of embarrassment welled up in his heart.
The whistle to start the match blew.
Harry desperately urged the broom forward, but the piece of junk simply wouldn't obey.
What was worse, the wind on the pitch wasn't right.
Whenever he tried to accelerate, a strong headwind would slap him hard in the face, making his movements sluggish and comical.
Several times, he nearly fell off the broom.
In the stands, Draco put down his cup and lightly tapped his fingertip on the armrest.
The air currents of the pitch were like countless lines in his eyes that he could manipulate at will.
With just a thought, he could turn every one of Harry Potter's sprints into a futile struggle.
Cho Chang, however, was flying extremely smoothly.
The Golden Snitch slipped past Harry several times, and she easily caught up to it, yet she was in no hurry to catch it, as if playing a game of cat and mouse.
"Potter looks like a headless fly," Daphne remarked.
"The real show is yet to come," Draco said.
He shot a glance at Crabbe, Goyle, and the BeaterMarcus Flint behind him.
"Go on, let savior relive an old dream."
The three of them showed knowing smiles and quietly slipped down from the stands.
The match reached a fever pitch.
Harry finally broke free from the entanglement of a strange wind. He saw it! The Golden Snitch was shimmering not far ahead!
He lunged forward recklessly!
This was his last chance!
His fingertips were about to touch those cold metal wings.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed several Black shadows appearing beneath the stands.
Three tall figures, draped in cloaks and wearing hoods, poked their heads out from the shadows.
Dementors!
Harry's head buzzed.
His mother's screams, the bone-chilling cold, the boundless despair... all these sensations swallowed him in an instant.
His hand trembled, and he lost his balance.
Amidst the gasps of thousands of people in the audience, Harry Potter slipped from his broom and fell heavily onto the grass.
The height wasn't great this time, so he wasn't injured.
But at the very moment he fell, Cho Chang's figure streaked over his head. She reached out and firmly grasped the Golden Snitch that had been within his reach.
The final whistle echoed throughout the pitch.
Gryffindor had lost once again.
In the locker room, Wood clung to a doorpost, sobbing so hard his whole body shook.
Harry, meanwhile, became the biggest laughingstock in the school, having lost two consecutive matches for the same reason.
"It was Malfoy! He did it!" Harry rushed up to Professor McGonagall, making an angry accusation.
But Crabbe and the others were long gone; there was no evidence at all. Professor McGonagall could only tiredly soothe him and tell him to accept the result.
The shadow of defeat loomed over the entire Gryffindor Tower.
And this defeat became the straw that broke the camel's back.
Sirius Black had waited for weeks in the Shrieking Shack, but Peter Pettigrew never showed up.
He didn't know that Peter had long since been scared away by Draco, and he still thought the rat was hiding in Hogwarts.
Driven to desperation, he decided to take a risk.
He stole a slip of paper with this week's password from the forgetful Neville Longbottom.
That night, while everyone was immersed in the frustration of defeat, he slipped into the GryffindorCommon Room and headed straight for the boys' dormitory, finding Ron's bed.
He tore open the bed curtains, frantically searching for that damned rat.
"Ah—!"
Ron woke up with a start from his dream and saw a man with disheveled hair holding a sharp knife standing by his bed. He let out a scream that pierced the night sky.
Sirius cursed under his breath. Knowing his presence had been exposed, he fled hurriedly through the portrait hole.
The school-wide alarm was triggered once again.
All students were urgently evacuated to the Great Hall to spend the night.
When Draco was awakened, his face showed only a hint of impatience at being disturbed.
In the chaotic crowd, he deliberately asked a nearby Gryffindor student loudly:
"I heard Black got in using the password? Who's so stupid they'd write the password on a piece of paper?"
The voice was neither loud nor soft, just enough to drift into the ears of the nearby Neville Longbottom.
Neville's face turned pale instantly.
The gazes of the surrounding students immediately stabbed into him like knives.
When Professor McGonagall arrived, her face was grim. She announced publicly that Neville was forbidden from coming into contact with any passwords for the next month.
Harry looked at his friends—one scared witless, the other a pariah—and felt only a sense of isolation in his heart.
While the Professors were busy soothing students and maintaining order.
Draco slipped quietly out of the Great Hall and walked along a secluded corridor toward the outside of the Castle.
In the shadows at the end of the corridor, he stopped.
In the darkness, a pair of anxious yet intelligent eyes met his.
It was a huge, matted Black dog.
Draco didn't draw his wand, nor did he speak.
He merely raised his hand slowly and placed an index finger against his lips, making a "shh" gesture.
The large black dog was clearly stunned.
In the eyes of this Malfoy boy, it saw only a calm that seemed to see through everything.
The Black dog hesitated for a moment and gave Draco a long, deep look.
Eventually, it turned silently and melted into the deeper darkness.
Draco watched the direction in which it disappeared, the corner of his mouth curling into an arc.
Sirius Black.
It's time to retrieve what belongs to the Malfoy Family.
Chapter 143: Draco Buys Him Out with a Few Coins! Potter Trembles with Rage!
The night was beautiful tonight, perfect for doing something to make certain people feel unpleasant.
Harry Potter woke from his coma, feeling a hollow, empty chill throughout his body.
He remembered the mass of Black Dementors, and he remembered falling from a great height.
"You're awake, Potter," Madam Pomfrey's voice was crisp and efficient. "magic depletion and a few scrapes, nothing serious."
She handed over a large piece of chocolate: "Eat it."
Harry took it mechanically, his mind a mess.
"Professor... the match..." his voice was hoarse.
Madam Pomfrey paused, her face showing a touch more sympathy. "Ravenclaw won. Cho Chang caught the Golden Snitch right after you fell."
Harry's heart sank heavily.
Lost again, and in the most humiliating way possible.
"My broom..." He suddenly remembered something and asked urgently, "Where is my shooting star?"
Madam Pomfrey's gaze became even more pitying as she pointed to a burlap sack at the foot of the bed.
Harry struggled to sit up and opened the bag; inside was a pile of broken wooden splinters.
His old "shooting star" had completely turned into a pile of kindling.
It was over.
The match was lost, and the broom was gone. He could imagine how the whole school would mock him tomorrow—savior who had been scared unconscious twice by Dementors.
The ward door was pushed open gently.
Draco Malfoy walked in.
He wasn't wearing his school robes, but a well-tailored Black casual robe that made his skin look exceptionally pale, his blonde hair dazzlingly bright under the magical lights.
Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass followed behind him, one on either side.
"Oh, look who it is," Pansy's shrill voice rang out first. "Our great savior, lying here again."
"Pansy."
Draco's voice was soft; Pansy immediately shut up, though her eyes remained full of schadenfreude as she looked at Harry.
Draco walked slowly to Harry's bedside, his gaze falling on the burlap sack of broken wood at the foot of the bed, his face showing a perfectly measured look of concern instead.
"Potter, I heard about what happened to you." His tone was so gentle it was unsettling. "How unfortunate. Twice in a row... you really have an affinity for Dementors."
Harry clenched his fists, his teeth grinding audibly.
"Get out, Malfoy!"
"Don't get worked up, Potter." Draco's gaze moved from the sack to Harry's flushed face, and he leaned in slightly.
"A 'shooting star'? I thought such antiques had been classified as flight-prohibited hazards long ago."
"Where's your Firebolt? Oh, I forgot, confiscated by Professor McGonagall. How pitiful."
His voice was filled with mock sympathy.
"A savior, reduced to riding a piece of firewood in a match. If word gets out, what will people think?"
"Is Dumbledore mistreating you, or... are you so poor you can't even afford a common Comet?"
Every word was like a needle pricking Harry's heart. He wanted to argue back, but couldn't say a single word.
What Draco said was the truth.
"Still, don't be too sad."
Draco straightened up, resuming his noble air, and gave a look to Goyle behind him.
Goyle understood and pulled several shiny Silver Sicklesfrom his pocket.
Draco didn't take them, merely gesturing toward Harrywith his chin.
Goyle's massive frame stepped forward, placing the silver coins one by one on the bedside table.
"Clink."
"Clang."
"Chime."
The crisp sound of metal clashing was exceptionally piercing in the quiet ward, slapping against Harry's face again and again.
"Keep it, Potter," Draco's voice carried a tone of charitable generosity. "It's enough to buy some sweets to comfort yourself."
"As for the broom... go beg your Weasley friends and see if they can dig out an even older 'Cleansweep' series from their attic for you."
Having finished, he stopped looking at Harry and turned to leave.
"Let's go, the air here makes my nose uncomfortable."
Pansy and Daphne let out suppressed giggles and crowded around him as they left.
Harry stared fixedly at the reflective silver coins on the nightstand, his body shaking with rage. He suddenly swept his hand across, knocking all the coins to the floor!
"Agh—!"
He let out a low growl like a wounded beast.
Madam Pomfrey rushed over at the sound, and seeing the mess on the floor and Harry's bloodshot eyes, she could only sigh helplessly and bend down to pick up the coins... The night was deep and silent.
Draco avoided all the night patrollers and came to the edge of the Castle grounds near the Forbidden Forest.
The evening breeze stirred his robes, and the air smelled of earth and plants.
He stood still, knowing that deep within the dark woods, a pair of eyes was staring fixedly at him.
That big Black dog, Sirius Black, hadn't gone far.
Draco didn't turn around, simply speaking to the air. His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for the dog to hear clearly.
"Quite interesting, isn't it?" he said softly. "The heir of the Black family, reduced to a stray dog everyone wants to beat."
From the darkness came the slight rustle of branches and leaves.
The other party had heard him.
"Twelve years... for someone not worth it, a fellow named... Peter Pettigrew."
When the name "Peter Pettigrew" left his mouth, he felt that gaze become as sharp as a blade.
A suppressed beastly growl came from deep within the woods.
Draco ignored it and continued leisurely: "A rat, a disgusting, lowly rat, fooled everyone."
"I heard that rat has a very distinct feature..." He paused intentionally, giving the other party time to digest it.
"Is it... missing a toe?"
"Roar—!"
This time it was a roar full of shock and murderous intent.
The bushes in the woods shook violently; a beast was about to charge out.
Draco finally turned around, facing the pitch-Black woods with a face of cold indifference that saw through everything.
Why did he know about Peter? Why did he know about the rat? Why did he know about the missing toe?
These questions would gnaw at Sirius's already unstable nerves.
That was enough.
He was going to use this cornered mad dog to flush out that rat hiding in the safest place in Hogwarts.
"Enjoy the night, Black," Draco finished softly to the darkness and turned to leave.
As he turned, a notification sound rang in his mind.
[Ding! Successfully guided key plot character 'Sirius Black', causing him to enter a highly unstable state of seeking revenge. Plot control increased!]
[Reward Special Item: Animagus Forced Revelation Powder (One-time use)!]
[Item Description: A powerful alchemical product that can force an Animagus to reveal their original form for a short period. Effect doubled on those with weak willpower.]
Draco didn't stop his pace.
Everything was under control.
Meanwhile, in Gryffindor Tower, Ron Weasley was looking at his pet with a long face.
"Scabbers, what on earth is wrong with you?"
He held out a piece of cheese to the rat's mouth. Scabbers, who would usually pounce on it, was now huddled in the corner, his fur standing on end, shivering violently.
He was getting thinner by the day, his gray fur was falling out in clumps, and he had started a hunger strike.
He wouldn't eat anything, only staring with those small Black eyes in terror, as if afraid of something invisible.
"Are you sick?" Ron poked him.
Scabbers let out a squeak and suddenly scurried backward, slamming into the cage.
Ron didn't know what kind of torment his "pet" was enduring.
It could feel that familiar and lethal aura lingering around the Castle. The man it had betrayed was back.
And another youth, who terrified it even more, had also seen through its secret.
Scabbers, or rather Peter Pettigrew, had only one thought: to run.
Chapter 144: miss know-it-all Collapses! "Extra Lessons" in the Library!
Hermione was completely unaware of Ron's concern for Scabbers.
She didn't have the energy to care about a rat.
The pressure of final exams, combined with the defense for the Hippogriff Buckbeak, left her feeling utterly suffocated.
The Time-Turner was frantically overdrawing her energy.
Her face grew paler by the day, with heavy dark circles hanging under her eyes, making her look haggard and pitiful.
Hagrid didn't understand the tedious laws of the Ministry of Magic, so the entire burden was placed on Hermionealone.
In a corner of the Library, Hermione was slumped over a pile of legal tomes taller than herself, nearly submerged by them. She had already pulled several all-nighters.
"...According to the 1296 'Code of Conduct for Magical Creatures,' an attack by a Hippogriff, if triggered by provocation, is not considered an 'unprovoked attack'..."
The handwriting under her quill became increasingly distorted, and the letters before her eyes began to dance and overlap.
Finally, she couldn't hold on any longer; her head slumped, and she fell asleep using a heavy copy of "Case Analysis of Medieval Wizard Trials" as a pillow.
The surroundings were very quiet.
A slender figure appeared silently at her table.
Draco looked at Hermione, whose brow was still tightly furrowed in her sleep, with a complex expression in his eyes.
He waved his wand, and a silent Silencing Charm fell, isolating this corner from the outside world.
He cast another Warming Charm.
Having done all this, he didn't wake her but pulled out the chair opposite and sat down, picking up the defense statement Hermione had half-written.
It cited many references and was clearly organized.
This Gryffindor miss know-it-all certainly had a brain.
Unfortunately, she was too naive.
Draco curled his lip.
Does the law speak through logic and evidence? No, the law is a tool for the powerful.
These ancient statutes she cited were nothing but scrap paper in the face of the Malfoy Family's Galleons.
After an unknown amount of time, Hermione woke up in a wave of warmth.
She snapped her eyes open and found herself draped in a soft black robe that smelled of crisp cedar.
This wasn't hers.
An exquisite "M" family crest was embroidered on the robe with silver thread.
"Awake?"
A low voice came from across the table.
Hermione looked up and saw that handsome face that always made her heart flutter.
"Draco... you..."
She wanted to stand up, but her body was weak and she couldn't muster any strength.
"Don't move."
A steaming cup of liquid was pushed in front of her.
It was a beautiful silver Potion, emitting a soft glow in the cup, smelling of mint and licorice.
"Refreshing Draught, I brewed it," Draco said flatly, but with no room for refusal. "It's more effective than those over-sweetened versions Madam Pomfrey has."
Hermione stared at the Potion, somewhat hesitant.
"Afraid I've poisoned it?" Draco chuckled. "Granger, if I wanted to deal with you, there are a hundred more elegant ways."
Hermione's cheeks felt hot.
He was telling the truth.
Moreover, she was truly too tired, her head was a mess, and she desperately needed to be clear-headed.
She picked up the cup and took a small sip.
The warm liquid slid down her throat, and a strange warm current quickly spread throughout her body. The deep-seated exhaustion was dispelled within seconds.
Her mind was clearer than ever before, and there was even... a hint of inexplicable pleasure.
"This Potion..." She looked at Draco in surprise.
"Just a little modification," Draco said dismissively.
Of course, he wouldn't mention that he had added a drop of "Moon-dew Pollen," which was extremely difficult to refine.
This pollen could amplify the effects of a Potion and cause the drinker to develop a subtle mental dependence and closeness to the brewer.
A sophisticated emotional induction belonging to Alchemy.
"Thank you," Hermione said softly, returning the robe to him.
Draco didn't take it, but pointed at the parchment in front of her.
"I read your defense statement."
Hermione's eyes lit up with a bit of expectation: "How is it?"
"Worthless."
Draco's answer was like an icicle piercing her heart.
Hermione's face turned pale instantly.
"What did you say?"
"I said, this stuff of yours is worse than scrap paper in front of the Committee."
Draco picked up the defense statement and tapped it with his finger.
"You cite the 'Code of Conduct for Magical Creatures' but ignore the Committee's discretionary power.
You analyze medieval cases but don't realize that the verdicts were all decided by the most powerful pure-blood families of the time."
"You're even naive enough to try using 'prior provocation' to defend a beast that harmed a Malfoy heir."
He looked up, his sharp gaze fixed on Hermione.
"Granger, are you writing an essay, or are you fighting a lawsuit you're destined to lose?"
Hermione was left speechless by his questions.
The knowledge she took pride in was laughably childish before him.
"Then... what should be done?" Her voice carried a tremor and helplessness.
"It's simple."
Draco casually tossed the defense statement aside.
"I'll help you."
Hermione's eyes widened.
"You... are willing to help me?"
"Of course." A businessman-like smile appeared on Draco's face. "The Malfoy Family happens to have quite a bit of say in the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures."
"I can tell you which statutes are traps, which witnesses can be bribed, and even... directly influence the votes of several committee members."
The prospects he described were immensely tempting.
"But, I have one condition."
"What condition?" Hermione asked urgently.
"Simple." Draco pointed to the armchair nearby. "Now, rest for ten minutes in front of me."
"What?" Hermione was stunned.
"Your face looks worse than a ghost's," Draco's tone brooked no argument. "I don't want my partner to drop dead in the Library before the trial."
"It would affect my mood."
Hermione looked into his grey-blue eyes; there was no mockery, only domineering commands.
Under the dual effects of the Refreshing Draught and extreme exhaustion, she couldn't muster the thought of resistance. The pleasure brought by the Potion made her subconsciously want to follow his instructions.
As if possessed, she stood up and sat down in the soft armchair.
Draco nodded with satisfaction.
He didn't go to revise the defense statement but walked over to her and sat down on the edge of the armchair.
"Close your eyes," he commanded.
Hermione obediently closed her eyes.
A cool hand was placed gently on her forehead.
Then, that hand slid into her messy, tangled brown hair, moving lightly and slowly with a strange rhythm, as if untangling a knot.
Hermione's body stiffened.
She smelled the pleasant scent of cedar on him, mixed with the ink of old books, enveloping her entirely.
His fingers occasionally brushed against her scalp, sending a faint electric current that made her scalp tingle.
"Relax."
His voice was right in her ear, low and magnetic.
"You don't have to carry everything alone, Hermione."
"Throw away all those worries; throw away Hagrid, Potter, Weasley... throw them all away."
"You only need to think that here, only I can help you."
"Only I... am right."
His words carried a hypnotic magic.
Under the influence of the Potion and exhaustion, Hermione's brain gave up thinking.
She was like a small boat drifting in warm water, and Draco was the only harbor where she could dock.
Her body softened bit by bit.
Finally, she lost consciousness completely, her head slumping onto Draco's shoulder as she fell into a deep sleep.
Draco looked down at the peaceful sleeping face of the girl in his arms, a trace of moisture clinging to her long eyelashes.
He wiped away the bit of moisture with his thumb, but his hand did not leave, moving slowly... Gryffindor's miss know-it-all, your reason and pride are being dismantled by me bit by bit.
Soon, you will understand.
Knowledge is worthless without the support of power.
And I can give you everything.
When Hermione woke up again, she found she was still leaning on Draco's shoulder.
He was using a quill to quickly write something on the back of her defense statement.
The pale light of dawn shone through the high windows of the Library.
A new day had begun.
Hermione looked at the rewritten defense strategy and then at the focused youth beside her, a feeling of absurdity and sweetness welling up in her heart.
Just then, a new piece of parchment automatically posted itself on the Library notice board.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts Class Notice: ProfessorRemus Lupin has recovered and will resume Boggartlessons tomorrow. Students are requested to attend on time."
Draco stopped writing, looked up, and glanced at the notice over Hermione's shoulder.
A meaningful smile appeared on his face.
He quietly let go of Hermione, his fingertips lightly touching something in his pocket.
There lay a small bottle of a "carefully modified" Potion.
Professor Lupin.
Welcome back.
I hope you... will like the "surprise" I've prepared.
Chapter 145: Boggart Teaching Again! Werewolf Identity Exposed!
Professor Lupin is back.
The Gryffindor students finally breathed a sigh of relief.
In the center of the classroom, that shaking old wardrobe had been brought out again.
"Good afternoon, class." Lupin's face was a bit pale, but his spirits seemed alright.
"The last Boggart lesson was unexpectedly interrupted; today, we continue."
His gaze swept across the room, pausing for a moment on Draco Malfoy.
"The incantation, I believe everyone still remembers. Riddikulus!"
"Now then, who's first?"
Before Neville's hands even started to shake, Draco Malfoy stood up from behind the Slytherin long table.
"Professor, let me go."
He volunteered, a confident smile on his face.
Everyone's eyes converged on him.
The Slytherin side was full of anticipation, while the Gryffindors were full of wariness.
"Certainly, Mr. Malfoy." Lupin nodded.
Draco walked to the wardrobe, spinning his wand between his fingertips.
The wardrobe door burst open.
A tall, majestic figure stepped out; it was Lucius Malfoy.
He was dressed in black robes, leaning on a snake-headed cane, his platinum blonde hair perfectly in place.
On that face was the coldness and disappointment Dracowas most familiar with.
"Draco."
The Boggart-Lucius spoke, his voice filled with reprimand.
"Your grades, your performance... you have disappointed me so much. You are tarnishing the glory of the House of Malfoy!"
This was the fear deep in Draco's heart.
It had nothing to do with Lord Voldemort, nothing to do with death.
It stemmed only from his father's disapproval.
Harry and Ron's mouths were already ready to turn up, waiting to see Malfoy make a fool of himself.
Draco, however, didn't even twitch an eyebrow.
He just gave a light flick of his wand.
"Riddikulus!"
The incantation was clear.
In the next moment, the majestic Lucius Malfoy threw away his snake-headed cane, put his hands on his hips, grinned, and started dancing a cheerful tap dance on the spot.
"Tap, tap, tap-tap-tap..."
His expression remained serious, but his feet were dancing wildly; the scene was absurd to the extreme.
"Hahahahaha!"
A massive burst of laughter erupted in the classroom.
The Slytherin students laughed so hard they pounded the tables, and even many Gryffindors couldn't help but laugh out loud.
With a "poof" amidst the laughter, the Boggart turned into smoke and retreated back into the wardrobe.
Draco stowed his wand and gave a slight bow to Professor Lupin, like a magician taking a curtain call.
"A very brilliant transformation, Mr. Malfoy," Lupinpraised. "Ten points to Slytherin."
Enthusiastic applause rang out from the Slytherin long table.
Draco returned to his seat amidst the admiring gazes of his companions.
Next, the students went forward one by one.
Pansy's Boggart was a giant spider, which she turned into a version wearing roller skates and slipping around.
Ron's Boggart was also an Acromantula; he was pale with fear and stuttered the incantation, putting socks on all eight of the spider's legs, barely passing.
Finally, it was Harry Potter's turn.
He stepped forward and took a deep breath.
Professor Lupin had taught him privately many times; he had to succeed this time.
The wardrobe door opened.
A cold, hooded shadow floated out.
A Dementor!
The temperature in the classroom plummeted.
The laughter vanished completely, everyone quieted down, faces filled with fear.
Harry's head began to buzz.
His mother's screams echoed in his ears again.
The feeling of all joy and hope being sucked away overwhelmed him.
His legs began to weaken, and the hand holding his wand shook violently.
"Rid... Riddik..."
His teeth chattered, and he couldn't make a clear sound.
The Dementor drew closer and closer.
That rotting, scabbed hand reached out toward him.
"What is Potter doing? Use the spell!"
"Is he going to faint again?"
"Weakling."
Clear mockery came from the Slytherin side.
Harry's face flushed red; shame and fear made it impossible for him to breathe.
Professor Lupin stepped forward in an instant, shielding him.
"Riddikulus!"
With a "poof," the Dementor turned into a silvery-white orb and flew back into the wardrobe.
Lupin closed the wardrobe door.
"Alright, class, that's all for today," he announced, his voice tinged with exhaustion.
Harry stood there, despondent.
Sympathetic, mocking, and disdainful gazes from all around fell upon him.
He had become the biggest joke in the school.
Draco, seeing his pathetic state, picked up a quill and drew a crying little figure with round glasses on a piece of parchment, then tossed it to Pansy.
Pansy and Daphne immediately caught on and burst into laughter together.
After class, the students left one after another.
Lupin leaned against the podium, organizing his lesson plans; he looked very tired.
Draco didn't leave; he slowly packed his books and sent Crabbe and Goyle away.
Fewer and fewer people remained in the classroom.
Finally, only he and Lupin were left.
Today was the eve of the full moon.
Lupin's body was at its weakest.
Draco saw Lupin take a goblet out of the podium drawer.
He knew that Snape would bring the Wolfsbane Potionat this time every day.
This was their secret.
The opportunity had come.
Draco fished the small crystal vial out of his pocket.
With his wand hidden in his sleeve, he cast a localized Disillusionment Charm on himself.
His figure didn't disappear, but as he moved, he blended into the surrounding light and shadows.
He like a ghost, he silently circled to the other side of the podium.
Lupin had his back to him, bending over to find something in a box.
Draco made his move.
The smoking, foul-smelling cup of Wolfsbane Potion on the table was replaced by the potion in his hand, which was almost the same color.
The whole process took less than three seconds.
The bottle in his hand was a semi-finished Wolfsbane Potion "borrowed" from Snape's private store.
He had also added some "Berserk Mushroom" powder from near the Acromantula nest in the Forbidden Forest, along with a drop of dragons blood.
These things wouldn't make the potion fail, but they would make the Werewolf's transformation more painful and... leave behind some beastly characteristics.
Having done everything, he quickly retreated to his original spot and canceled the charm.
Lupin noticed nothing.
He straightened up and picked up the swapped potion from the table.
Snape seemed to have something to do today and hadn't delivered it personally.
Without thinking much, he frowned and drank the potion, which had a strange sweet and fishy smell, in one gulp.
Draco packed his bag and walked out of the classroom.
"Goodbye, Professor."
"Goodbye, Mr. Malfoy."
Lupin responded with a smile, unaware that he had just swallowed a potion that could ruin everything for him.
That night.
In the corridors of Hogwarts.
Several Hufflepuff students, having finished their Astronomy Class, were returning to their dormitory together.
As they passed the Defense Against the Dark ArtsProfessor's office, the door was suddenly slammed open from the inside.
They saw that gentle Professor Lupin falling painfully to the floor.
His eyes were no longer brown, but yellow vertical pupils glowing with a predatory light.
From the corners of his mouth, two sharp fangs that didn't belong to a human protruded.
A thick layer of brown fur had grown on the backs of his hands.
He hadn't fully transformed yet, but this appearance was more terrifying than a true Werewolf.
"Ah—!"
A girl let out a scream.
Stimulated by the scream, Lupin let out a suppressed roar and slammed the door shut.
Those students were scared out of their wits and scrambled back to their Common Room.
In less than an hour.
A terrifying rumor spread wildly through every corner of Hogwarts.
"The Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Lupin... is a Werewolf!"
Early the next morning.
A red avalanche flew down from the Great Hall ceiling.
An overwhelming number of Howlers landed precisely in Dumbledore's breakfast cereal.
"Dumbledore! You lunatic! You let a Werewolf teach our children!"
"If anything happens to my son, I will never let you off!"
"Fire that monster immediately!"
Chapter 146: Acromantula Venom Obtained! Draco's Black Gold Business Opens!
The storm regarding Professor Lupin being a Werewolfhad not yet subsided.
Another piece of bad news reached Hagrid's hut.
The results of the hearing by the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures were out.
Under Lucius Malfoy's "unremitting efforts" and financial offensive, the committee made its final judgment.
The Hippogriff, Buckbeak, was sentenced to death due to its "extremely dangerous and savage nature."
It would be publicly executed next Sunday at sunset.
When Hagrid received the official document sealed with the Ministry of Magic's wax, the half-Giant broke down on the spot.
He locked himself in his hut, clutching a bottle of wine, crying like a three-hundred-pound child.
Huge teardrops rolled down his hairy face like waterfalls, wetting the table.
Hermione stayed by his side, holding the defense she had spent several all-nighters writing, feeling an unprecedented sense of powerlessness and frustration.
All her efforts, all her citations, seemed so pale and ridiculous in the face of absolute power.
Ron and Harry were also there, but other than clumsily offering a few words of comfort like "Don't be sad, Hagrid," they couldn't think of any solution.
Just as the hut was filled with gloom and misery, there was a "bang, bang, bang" on the wooden door.
Hagrid, his eyes red, roared impatiently, "Who is it! I'm not seeing anyone today!"
From outside the door came a slow, aristocratic voice.
"Hagrid, open the door."
"I'm here to... inspect my spoils of war."
It was Draco Malfoy.
Harry and Ron instantly exploded.
"Malfoy! You bastard! What are you still doing here!" Rongrabbed an empty wine bottle and wanted to rush out.
Hermione grabbed him.
"Don't be impulsive, Ron!"
Hagrid stood up unsteadily and pulled open the door.
Draco stood at the door, with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.
He was wearing a neat Slytherin Quidditch uniform, looking like he had just finished practice, with a condescending smile on his face.
His gaze moved past Hagrid's massive frame towards the pumpkin patch behind the hut.
Buckbeak was tied there by a thick iron chain, pawing the ground uneasily.
"Oh, look at it, so spirited."
Draco's tone was like he was admiring a collection piece he was about to acquire.
"Macnair's axe hasn't tasted a Hippogriff's neck in a long time. He'll be very happy."
"You..." Hagrid's fists clenched until they cracked, and fire almost spat from his eyes.
"I what?"
Draco walked into the hut, completely ignoring Harry and Ron's murderous glares.
He looked around the simple and messy room, frowning in disgust.
"I just came to remind you, Hagrid. Remember to feed it a bit more before the execution."
"My father says that creatures with meat that is too lean don't feel good to chop."
These extremely cold words brought the atmosphere in the room to a freezing point.
Hermione's lips were trembling.
She couldn't imagine how a person could be so cruel.
Hagrid's tears began to flow weakly again.
He looked at his beloved Buckbeak, and the half-Giant let out a desperate sob.
"Please, Mr. Malfoy... let him go... he's a good boy, he didn't mean it..."
He actually began to beg the person who had harmed him.
"Begging me?"
Draco acted as if he had heard a huge joke.
"Hagrid, have you forgotten whose negligence gave this beast the chance to hurt me?"
"Now, what right do you have to beg me?"
Hagrid was completely hopeless.
He slumped into a chair, covered his face with his massive palms, and let out painful sobs.
Harry couldn't take it anymore.
"Malfoy! You've gone too far!"
He drew his wand and pointed it at Draco.
Crabbe and Goyle immediately stood in front of Dracolike two walls.
Draco waved his hand, signaling them to step back.
He looked at the despairing Hagrid, then at Hermionenearby, who was angry but whose eyes were beginning to waver.
He knew the timing was just about right.
"However..."
He changed his tone, drawing out his words.
"Although my father sentenced it to death, it's not entirely without... room for maneuver."
The crying in the hut stopped abruptly.
Hagrid jerked his head up, a glimmer of hope reigniting in his eyes, which were as swollen as walnuts.
"You... what did you say?"
"I'm saying," Draco said, slowly adjusting his gloves, "the House of Malfoy still has a bit of a say in the committee."
"For example, delaying the execution date indefinitely. Or, on the night of the execution, the executioner suddenly gets a stomach ache."
"Even the chain tying it might somehow break on its own, giving it a chance to... 'escape'."
With every word he spoke, the hope in Hagrid's eyes grew brighter.
"But, Hagrid."
A devilish smile appeared on Draco's face.
"There's no such thing as a free lunch. Why should I help you?"
"You need to... pay a price."
"What price? As long as it saves Buckbeak, I'll do anything!" Hagrid said urgently, like a drowning man clutching at a straw.
"Very good."
Draco was very satisfied with his attitude.
"I heard you have a good relationship with those... big guys in the Forbidden Forest?"
He spoke suggestively.
Hagrid's expression changed.
"Especially those Giant spiders with eight eyes."
Draco's voice carried a hint of chill.
"I need a full bottle of high-purity Acromantula venom every month."
Hagrid gasped.
Acromantula venom was one of the most expensive and dangerous Potion ingredients on the market.
Because the collection process was a matter of life and death.
"Also," Draco continued to set his price, "ten adult, naturally shed Unicorn tail hairs every month."
"And rare herbs from deep within the Forbidden Forestthat aren't marked on any maps."
"Like Weeping Poisonous Mushrooms, Moonlight Agave... I want a full basket every month."
Any of these things would be worth a fortune on the black market in Knockturn Alley.
Draco was conducting a blatant and shameless extortion!
"This... this is too difficult..." Hagrid looked troubled. "Aragog... he won't agree..."
"That's your problem, Hagrid."
Draco's tone turned cold.
"Or would you rather watch Macnair's axe fall on your 'good boy's' neck?"
He pointed to Buckbeak outside the window.
Hagrid followed his finger, and Buckbeak seemed to sense his gaze, letting out an affectionate cry.
Hagrid's heart felt as if it were being squeezed hard by a hand.
On one side was the dangerous Forbidden Forest and an old friend's wrath.
On the other side was Buckbeak's life.
He struggled for less than ten seconds.
"Fine... I'll do it!"
He gritted his teeth, forcing the words out.
"I agree to everything!"
"A wise choice."
A smile returned to Draco's face.
He took a piece of parchment and a quill from his pocket.
"Then, let's sign an agreement. Using a Magical Contract."
He wanted to ensure Hagrid wouldn't have any chance to go back on his word.
Under Harry and Ron's angry gazes and Hermione's complex look, Hagrid signed his name on Draco's extremely harsh contract with a trembling hand.
When the light of magic flashed and the contract took effect, Hagrid felt as if all his strength had been drained.
But looking at Draco, he forced a smile that looked worse than crying.
"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy... thank you..."
He was actually thanking the person who had just blackmailed him.
Draco tucked away the contract, feeling cheerful.
"Very good, Hagrid. Remember, I need to see the first batch of goods before next week."
Having said that, he turned to leave.
Hermione stood to the side, silent from beginning to end.
Inside, she was fighting an internal battle.
Reason told her that Draco's behavior was a shameless and despicable extortion.
But emotionally, she saw that because of this "despicable deal," Hagrid had saved Buckbeak's life and was even thanking him through tears.
Although Draco's methods were cold and ruthless, he... he really solved the problem.
In the most direct and effective way.
This power of "results are justice" exerted a fatal attraction on her wavering heart, which admired the strong.
She began to feel that the procedural justice and moral standards she had previously believed in were so fragile and ridiculous in the face of reality.
Draco reached the door, suddenly stopped, and looked back at Hermione.
His gaze seemed to see through all her inner struggles.
He gave her a smile that only she could understand.
Hermione's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively avoided his gaze.
Her cheeks, uncontrollably, turned red once again.
Draco left satisfied.
He knew that this smartest head in Gryffindor could no longer leave the logical track he had set for her.
A few days later.
When Hagrid risked his life to deliver the first bottle of dark green Acromantula venom, which emitted a deadly aura, into Draco's hands.
Draco knew that his underground black gold industry chain at Hogwarts was officially open.
Chapter 147: The Crystal Ball's Prophecy! Lord Voldemort's Servant Will Return!
The arrival of final exam week filled the air of Hogwartswith a tense atmosphere.
Students hurried about, buried in books and parchment, and even the noise in the corridors had diminished considerably.
For Draco, this was merely a formality.
His real "final showdown" was about to begin.
The Divination Class exam was held in ProfessorTrelawney's top-floor tower room, filled with swirling smoke and a cloyingly sweet fragrance.
Students had to enter the room one by one to predict their own futures by observing a crystal ball.
Draco was the first to finish.
Trelawney looked into the crystal ball and muttered mysteriously that she saw a "dark soul surrounded by a golden halo."
She also said he "would stand at the pinnacle of the world in the future, with countless thrones and skeletons beneath his feet."
Draco merely smiled politely, inwardly sneering.
This charlatan occasionally managed to guess a thing or two correctly.
He didn't leave immediately; instead, after exiting the room, he quietly left a small alchemical device in the shadow of the doorframe.
This was an advanced eavesdropping device he had created by combining the Extendable Ear technology "replicated" from the Weasley twins with Ancient Runesamplification runes.
He wanted to listen to the next person's prophecy.
That person was Harry Potter.
Draco leaned against a distant wall, pretending to admire the scenery, with an inconspicuous tiny earpiece in his ear.
He heard Harry enter the room.
He heard Trelawney instruct him to look into the crystal ball.
He heard Harry say he couldn't see anything.
Everything was as usual, boring and dull.
Until... a completely different, harsh and grating voice suddenly came through the earpiece!
It was no longer Trelawney's deliberately mysterious, ethereal tone, but a genuine roar from the depths of the soul!
"He will come... tonight!"
Draco straightened up.
He knew it had begun.
"The Dark Lord's servant has been imprisoned for twelve years!"
"Tonight... before midnight... the servant will break his chains!"
"He will go to reunite with his master!"
"The Dark Lord will rise again with his help!"
"More powerful... more terrible than before..."
"Tonight... before midnight... the servant... will go to reunite with the master..."
The voice abruptly stopped.
Then came Professor Trelawney's bewildered voice: "Sorry, dear, did I just fall asleep?"
Followed by Harry's terrified, stammering reply.
Draco heard the sound of a chair being knocked over, heard Harry's frantic footsteps as he rushed out of the room.
He knew Harry must be going to find Dumbledore.
Draco removed the earpiece and crushed it into powder.
His face showed no surprise, only the calm and excitement of a hunter finally seeing prey enter the trap.
The climax of the plot had finally arrived.
He didn't chase after Harry or join the commotion.
He turned and quickly headed toward the Slytherindungeons.
Back in his dormitory, he immediately dismissed Crabbeand Goyle, who were playing cards.
"You two, go keep an eye on the entrance to Gryffindor Tower," he ordered.
"Especially Weasley, watch him and don't let him run around."
"Yes, Master," they replied.
Although they didn't understand why, they immediately carried out the order.
Only Draco remained in the dormitory.
He opened his multi-enchanted suitcase.
He took off his school robe, revealing a form-fitting, snake-skin-like flexible black armor he had already worn underneath.
This was made from tanned Hungarian Horntaildragonhide, lightweight and tough, capable of resisting most low to mid-level offensive spells.
It was a life-saving gift Lucius had given him when he started school.
Next, he took out a few items from a hidden compartment in the suitcase.
A small vial of shimmering silver powder—[Animagus Forced Reveal Powder].
A palm-length, extremely sharp dagger. He drew the dagger and used a small bottle to evenly coat the blade with a potent paralyzing toxin extracted from "Weeping Poison Mushrooms."
This toxin wasn't lethal but was enough to paralyze an adult Wizard within seconds, rendering them completely helpless.
He also brought a bottle of potent healing potion and that quite useful Phoenix feather wand confiscated from Lockhart.
After finishing all this, he put his school robe back on.
Outwardly, he looked no different from usual.
But beneath the robe, he was armed to the teeth.
He left the dormitory and went to the Slytherin Common Room.
Pansy and Daphne were sitting together, flipping through a fashion magazine.
"Pansy, Daphne," Draco's voice carried an undeniable seriousness.
The two girls immediately stood up.
"Master."
"Tonight, I'm feeling a bit unwell and need to rest early."
Draco looked at them, his gaze sharp.
"From now until tomorrow morning, your task is to guard the door to my dormitory."
"No matter what happens outside or what noises you hear—even if the Castle is collapsing—you must stay here."
"If anyone asks about me, say I slept all night and never left."
"You need to provide me with the perfect alibi, understand?"
A morbid excitement appeared on Pansy's face.
She loved this feeling of doing "dirty work" for Draco.
"Understood, Master! Even if Dumbledore himself comes, he won't get in!" she puffed out her chest and promised.
Daphne was calmer; she nodded, her golden hair shimmering slightly in the fireplace light.
"Don't worry, Draco. We know what to do."
"Good."
Draco nodded in satisfaction.
He needed two absolutely loyal, high-status pure-blood heiresses to testify for him.
After arranging all this, he took one last look at the wall clock.
The sun was slowly setting toward the horizon.
The golden afterglow cast a melancholy hue over Hogwarts' spires.
Near Hagrid's hut, several Ministry of Magic officials in black robes had appeared.
One tall man was sharpening a huge, crescent-shaped axe on a whetstone with a grinding sound.
The axe blade reflected a glaring, bloody light in the sunset.
It was the executioner, Walden Macnair.
Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor Common Room, Ron Weasley was anxiously searching through his pockets.
"Scabbers! Scabbers! Where have you run off to!"
His pocket had been gnawed through with a small hole at some point.
The emaciated old rat, which had been fasting for days, was gone.
Ron didn't know.
His "pet," upon hearing the distant sound of the executioner sharpening his axe and sensing the aura of death, had finally erupted with an instinct for survival.
Using its last bit of strength, it gnawed through the fabric and escaped from Ron's pocket.
It couldn't die here!
It had to return to the powerful Dark Lord who could offer it protection!
A gray rat was scurrying frantically along the base of the wall toward the Castle's exterior, toward the Whomping Willow filled with violent energy.
Chapter 148: Draco Intrudes on the Battlefield! Harry: Whose Side Are You On?!
Beneath the roots of the Whomping Willow, the secret passage leading to the Shrieking Shack was dark and damp.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were stumbling forward, chasing after something.
Ron's leg was injured from the bite of the suddenly appearing large Black dog, and he was limping, cursing incessantly under his breath.
"That dog! It dragged Scabbers away!"
"Hurry, Harry! It'll eat Scabbers!"
Hermione followed behind, her face filled with fear and unease.
None of them noticed that not far behind them, a figure almost blending into the darkness was following at a leisurely pace, draped in a silver invisibility cloak.
Draco's footsteps were as light as a cat's.
He looked at the three stumbling Gryffindors ahead with utter disdain in his eyes.
A bunch of fools driven by emotion and impulse.
However, it was precisely their stupidity that allowed tonight's grand spectacle to begin smoothly.
The end of the passage was a Trapdoor.
Harry climbed up first, arriving in a dusty, dilapidated room.
This was the legendary, most terrifying haunted house in Hogwarts — the Shrieking Shack.
Ron and Hermione followed him up.
Ron immediately spotted the large Black dog standing in the corner of the room.
And his rat, Scabbers, lay on the floor, seemingly already dead.
"Scabbers!"
Ron let out a mournful cry.
But the next second, the large Black dog twisted and transformed into a man.
A man with disheveled hair, ragged clothes, and wild eyes.
Sirius Black!
"Expelliarmus!"
Sirius moved as fast as lightning. Harry and Hermione's wands flew out of their hands instantly and landed in his.
The situation reversed in an instant.
Draco, hiding in the shadows behind the door, watched this scene with great interest.
He wasn't in a hurry to reveal himself.
A good show needs a bit of appetizer.
Just as Sirius was about to act against the "rat" in Ron's hands, the door was pushed open again.
Professor Lupin walked in.
He saw Sirius, and his expression became extremely complex.
"It's you."
"It's me, Remus."
Two old friends reunited after twelve years.
Harry and the others were completely baffled.
They watched as Lupin and Sirius embraced, utterly confused about what was happening.
"I finally found him!"
"I know!"
"We'll kill him!"
Their conversation only confused Harry's trio even more.
Hermione mustered her courage and loudly exposed the fact that Lupin was a Werewolf.
And Lupin finally began explaining the truth of what happened back then.
Explaining the story about "loyalty," "betrayal," and the "Animagus."
Everything pointed to the trembling rat in Ron's arms — Peter Pettigrew.
Just as Sirius and Lupin joined forces, preparing to use a spell to force the rat to reveal its true form...
Draco knew his moment to make an entrance had arrived.
He couldn't let them succeed so easily.
He wanted to make this spectacle even more chaotic and exciting.
He wanted to transform himself from a "bystander" into the "protagonist" of this play.
He abruptly removed his invisibility cloak and strode out from the shadows behind the door!
"Petrificus Totalus!"
A red light shot from the tip of his wand!
But his target was neither Sirius nor Lupin.
It was the room's only unsealed window!
"Bang!"
The Body-Bind Curse hit the window frame. The window slammed shut with tremendous force and was magically sealed shut.
Immediately after, he waved his wand again.
"Incantation Seal!"
An invisible, obscure Ancient Runes seal instantly enveloped the door crack and all gaps in the entire room.
This was a high-level silencing ward he had just "learned" from Hermione, modified by him to not only block sound but also seal the physical space to a certain degree.
Now, forget a rat, not even a fly could escape from this room!
Draco's sudden appearance and this series of baffling actions stunned everyone present.
"Malfoy?! What are you doing here!" Harry cried out in shock.
"Me?"
Draco raised his wand, wearing an expression of "righteous indignation," as if he had come to save the world.
His wand was pointed steadily at Sirius and Lupin.
"I'm here to protect my classmates and apprehend you two dangerous criminals, of course!"
His voice was loud and brimming with "righteousness."
"Sirius Black, fugitive from Azkaban, murderer of thirteen people!"
"And you, Remus Lupin!" His wand turned towards Lupin, his tone filled with heart-wrenching accusation.
"A Professor at Hogwarts, a dangerous Werewolf hiding among us!"
"Are the two of you conspiring here to kill Potter and the others?!"
This distorted accusation left both Lupin and Siriusdumbfounded.
They never expected someone to barge in like this halfway through.
Moreover, his logic was... impeccable!
From the perspective of an uninformed observer, the scene was a murderer and a Werewolf besieging three unarmed students.
And he, Draco Malfoy, was the hero who braved danger and stepped forward!
"No! That's not what's happening! Malfoy, listen to our explanation!" Hermione said urgently.
"Silence, Granger!"
Draco reprimanded sharply.
"Have you been bewitched by them? Or were you in cahoots with them all along?!"
He looked at Hermione with the eyes of someone seeing a traitor.
Hermione felt a pang of guilt under his gaze and couldn't find words.
Draco's acting skills reached their peak at this moment.
He portrayed the image of a brave, righteous, yet somewhat reckless Slytherin noble to perfection.
He displayed both disgust for the criminals and "protection" for his classmates, while cleverly framing Hermione's defense as "being bewitched."
This completely disrupted the rhythm of the scene.
Harry had begun to somewhat believe Lupin, but Draco's appearance plunged him back into hesitation and confusion.
He didn't know who to trust anymore.
"Kid, you're in the way."
Sirius's patience ran out. He raised his wand, a menacing glint in his eyes.
"Get lost, or I'll deal with you too!"
"See! He's trying to silence us!"
Draco immediately shouted at Harry, as if he had found proof.
"Potter, what are you waiting for? Help me subdue them!"
As he spoke, he secretly prepared a "Flash Spell" on his wand.
He didn't need to actually fight two adult Wizards.
He just needed to buy time.
Until... the "reinforcements" he most wanted to see arrived.
Just then.
"Bang!"
The room's door was blasted open from the outside by a tremendous force!
Amidst the flying wood splinters, a Black, bat-like figure rushed in.
It was Severus Snape!
He held his wand aloft. Beneath his greasy Black hair, his eyes burned with towering fury and hatred.
His gaze immediately locked onto Sirius.
"Black!"
He growled through gritted teeth.
However, when he took in the scene in the room, he froze.
He didn't see Harry Potter attacking a Professor.
Instead... his most prized student, Draco Malfoy, was "bravely" holding his wand, standing alone in front of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
And facing him were two "ferocious" adult Wizards — the murderer Sirius Black and the Werewolf Remus Lupin!
This scene was devastatingly impactful for Snape!
In his eyes, this was two vicious criminals besieging his most valued godson and several innocent students!
And Draco was actually taking them on one against two, protecting them!
Snape's fury was ignited to its extreme in an instant!
"You two bastards!"
He let out a beast-like roar, his wand pointing unhesitatingly straight at Sirius Black!
Chapter 149: Night of the Full Moon, WerewolfTransformation! Harry's Saintly Heart Flares Up!
"I've waited twelve years for this, Black!"
Every word of Severus Snape's voice was laced with hatred.
The red light at the tip of his wand gave no one a chance to explain; he only wanted to send his childhood nemesis to the Dementors immediately.
"Severus, listen to me, it's not what you think!" Lupinrushed forward, trying to stop him.
"The two of you, as expected, are in league!"
Severus Snape's fury had caused him to lose all reason.
"A murderer and a Werewolf—a perfect match!"
Ignoring Lupin's defense, he flicked his wand, and several Black ropes shot straight toward Sirius Black.
Draco Malfoy stepped back just at the right moment, yielding the main battlefield to them.
He feigned a lingering fear and said to Harry behind him, "Potter, look, Professor Snape has come to save us!"
Harry's mind was in a state of chaos.
He watched as Sirius Black was forced into a desperate dodge by Severus Snape's spell.
The truth was right before his eyes; he couldn't let it slip away like this!
"Stop!"
Harry shouted, charging forward and spreading his arms to stand in front of Sirius Black.
"Professor Snape, listen to his explanation! He's not the killer! Peter Pettigrew is!"
When Severus Snape saw Harry protecting the man who had betrayed his father, his entire face twisted.
"Potter! Get out of my way! You've been brainwashed by them too!"
"It's true! The killer is Ron's rat!" Harry pointed at Scabbers in Ron's arms and shouted loudly.
The claim was too absurd.
Severus Snape simply assumed he had gone mad.
"It seems today, I shall send this entire group of lunatics to Azkaban all at once!"
He raised his wand, prepared to deal with Harry as well.
It was a critical moment.
"Expelliarmus!"
"Expelliarmus!"
"Expelliarmus!"
Three red lights shot out simultaneously from different directions.
They came from Harry, Ron, and Hermione respectively.
Severus Snape had not expected at all that these three Gryffindor students would dare to attack him at the same time.
He only had time to parry one spell before the other two struck him squarely in the chest.
Severus Snape was thrown back by the spells, his head hitting the wall hard before he slumped to the floor, motionless.
A deathly silence filled the room.
Draco Malfoy wore an expression of "shock."
He took two steps back, looking at Harry and the others as if they were madmen.
"Potter... are you... are you crazy?!"
His voice was trembling.
"You actually... attacked Professor Snape!"
"You're seeking your own death!"
Hermione looked at her still-shaking wand, then at the unconscious Severus Snape in the corner, the color draining from her face.
She had just... assaulted a Professor.
"I... I didn't mean to..." Her voice carried a hint of crying.
"Shut up, Hermione! We did it to find out the truth!" Harryroared with bloodshot eyes, having already thrown caution to the wind.
Draco Malfoy watched coldly.
Idiots.
A bunch of stupid Gryffindor lions.
Attacking a Professor for the sake of a ridiculous "truth."
If word of this got out, it would be enough to have all three of them expelled.
However, that was fine.
With Severus Snape unconscious, the scene had finally returned to its proper course.
Sirius Black and Lupin could finally point their wands at the rat in Ron's arms.
Under the pincer attack of two spells, Scabbers let out a scream, and his body expanded in mid-air.
Finally, a short, wretched man with a rat-like face slammed heavily onto the floor.
Peter Pettigrew.
The truth was out.
Peter knelt on the floor, weeping and begging for mercy from Sirius, Lupin, and Harry.
His acting was superb.
The fire of revenge burned in the eyes of Sirius and Lupin.
They raised their wands, prepared to execute the traitor on the spot.
"No! Don't kill him!"
Harry rushed forward again to stop them.
"We can't kill people."
His ridiculous sense of justice had flared up again.
"We should... hand him over to the Ministry of Magic."
Standing in the corner, Draco almost laughed out loud.
Naive Potter.
You think he'll be punished if you hand him to the Ministry of Magic?
No, he'll only become a bargaining chip for those big shots to trade with each other.
However, Draco did not stop it.
He needed Peter alive.
A living Peter, held in his own hands, was a gold mine.
And so, the group bound Peter, used a Levitation Charmto carry the unconscious Professor Snape, and marched out of the Shrieking Shack, returning through the tunnel under the Whomping Willow.
Just as they stepped out of the hole onto the lawn outside the Castle.
A sliver of cold, silvery-white light spilled down from behind the clouds.
A full moon.
Remus Lupin's body suddenly began to twitch violently.
"Remus!" Sirius's face changed drastically. "Did you... forget to take your potion today?!"
Lupin roared in agony, his bones shifting, muscles bulging, and Black fur frantically bursting from his body.
He had drunk the potion Draco had swapped.
The potion spiked with "Frenzy Mushroom" powder and dragon's blood.
This made his transformation process incredibly fast and the pain doubled.
Even more terrifying, his eyes instantly turned blood-red, and his reason vanished completely!
"Roar—!"
A monster more hideous than an ordinary Werewolfappeared before everyone.
Chaos erupted.
Hermione let out a terrified scream.
A flash of wild joy crossed Peter Pettigrew's eyes.
An opportunity!
Taking advantage of everyone being distracted by the Werewolf, his body suddenly shrank, turning back into a rat.
The magical ropes no longer bound him.
With a flash of a gray shadow, he dove into the nearby grass and vanished!
"Peter!" Sirius roared, but he had no time to give chase.
The mindless Werewolf was lunging toward Harry and Hermione!
Without hesitation, Sirius transformed into a massive Black dog and lunged forward with a snarl, tearing into the Werewolf.
The scene turned into a complete mess.
Harry and Hermione backed away in terror.
No one noticed where Peter had gone.
Except for one person.
Draco Malfoy.
From the moment Lupin began his transformation, his gaze had been locked onto Peter Pettigrew.
He had expected this step long ago.
The moment Peter turned into a rat and dove into the grass, Draco moved.
In the grass, a gray rat scrambled forward desperately to escape.
Peter Pettigrew was ecstatic—he was free!
Once he crossed this patch of grass and dove into the depths of the Forbidden Forest, he would be completely safe.
He could even imagine the rewards he would receive after finding his master, Lord Voldemort.
However, just as he burst out of the grass.
A massive dark shadow descended from the sky!
Thud!
An expensive dragon-hide boot stepped precisely on his hairless tail!
"Squeak—!"
Peter let out a scream of pain, his body pinned to the ground by a great force, unable to move.
He looked back in terror.
A handsome face came into view, wearing an elegant smile.
Draco Malfoy.
"Good evening, Mr. Pettigrew."
Draco knelt down and pinched the rat's scruff with two fingers.
In his hand, Peter struggled and squealed frantically, even trying to open his mouth to bite.
Draco's hand remained steady as a rock.
He took out a silver metal bottle engraved with Runesfrom his pocket.
Unscrewing the cap, he stuffed the struggling rat inside without hesitation.
Click.
The cap was tightened.
Draco then applied three different Sealing Charms and a Silencing Charm to the bottle in succession.
The squealing and thumping from inside the bottle vanished instantly.
Mission accomplished.
He weighed the bottle in his hand, a satisfied look on his face.
This small bottle held the entire fortune of the House of Black, the only evidence to clear Sirius Black's name, and an important bait to draw out Lord Voldemort in the future.
Now, it belonged only to him.
After completing all this, Draco looked up.
By the nearby lake, the situation had changed. During the fight with the large Black dog, the Werewolf Lupin had been lured away by something and ran into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
After driving the Werewolf away, Sirius Black had exhausted his strength, reverted to human form, and collapsed weakly by the lake.
Harry stood guard by his side.
But a true crisis had descended.
The air turned icy in an instant, and the moonlight on the lake was obscured by a layer of Black gauze.
A chill that drained all joy and hope swept in from all directions.
Black, tattered cloaks; rotting, scabbed hands.
Hundreds, perhaps even more Dementors surged from the shadows of the Castle and the depths of the Forbidden Forest!
They were drawn by the intense negative emotions here.
Especially Sirius Black's soul, filled with twelve years of injustice and despair; it was an irresistible feast for them.
"Expecto Patronum!"
Harry raised his wand and shouted loudly.
A cloud of silver mist puffed from the tip of his wand, only to dissipate quickly.
His power was insufficient to combat such a vast number of Dementors.
Sirius Black was already semi-conscious.
The Dementors drew closer and closer to him; one of them even leaned down, pulling back its hood, preparing to deliver the ultimate punishment—the Dementor's Kiss.
Harry was also on the verge of collapsing.
His consciousness blurred, and his mother's screams filled his mind once again.
Draco stood on a distant high slope, looking down coldly at this apocalyptic scene.
According to the original plot, the future Harry would arrive riding Buckbeak and use a powerful Stag Patronusto save everyone.
But... why place hope in someone else?
Why not test for himself just how far his current power had reached?